Learning Theory

[Kutryer]

I've been playing for a while now, but I never really learned much theory. I can play fast and stuff, but I don't really know much about scales and stuff. I know the notes on the fretboard and I know how to read music, but thats about it... Can anyone suggest some type of theory I can learn, like scales or something like that? I don't want to learn theory that I won't be using in metal. Sorry if this is hard to understand, Its kind of hard to explain

 

[the alumnus]

well, if you know where all the notes are on the fretboard then you've learned the hard part of theory already. i'll get you started, its pretty easy.
c major scale: c-d-e-f-g-a-b-c
a minor scale: a-b-c-d-e-f-g-a
notice how they are the same notes?

also, how are you playing fast without knowing scales? just random notes?

 

[Dushan S]

There is a lot of good theory books to find, so choose one that looks interesting and easy to read and understand. For you it is important to grasp the way the chords and scales are built, and you don't really need to know it all but you do have to understand basic principles.

I don't want to learn theory that I won't be using in metal.

That is probably the reason you don't know music theory already in the first place.
It is not possible to become serious musician without listening and learning all kinds of music. If you have read interviews with your favorite artists and musicians, you have probably noticed that they are listening to music outside the metal genre. Actually, one way to make your owns songs fresh and interesting is to NOT listen metal but mostly other types of music, and then using that knowledge and inspiration in metal music.
Other reason is that in a lot of ways, metal can be much more free for choice of scales over chords and combinations of chords than pop/rock music, so it is harder to learn and understand bacis principles of harmony just by listening to metal music.
The sooner you open your mind to other types of music, the better you will become, believe me.

 

[Kutryer]

Thanks a lot for your feedback. Sorry, I kind of worded that wrong. I do listen to lots of different music, not just metal, and I do want to learn theory associated with different types of music. I really don't know why I said that, its hard to think late at night. Again, thanks for your help, going to the music store right now to buy some books

 

[Break Zero]

WEll, if you're looking for a book to help, "The Complete Idiots Guide to Music Theory" is definatly something you should look into

 

[Kutryer]

Okay I'll check it out, thanks.

 

[A Poor Musician]

Yea, just take out a bunch of books on theory.

You can also look into theory at certain websites, such as musictheory.net.

The best idea would be to buy a bunch of theory books.

-A Poor Musician

 

[Kenneth R.]

and don't limit yourself to just so-called "metal theory". in truth you can use any variety of music theory in any form of music so long as you are consistent. bring new perspectives to your metal playing and be original in that. in fact, the most common metal scales closely resemble blues and jazz.

 

[FauxPerspicacity]

The Stefan Kostka book Tonal Harmony fifth edition is the way to go.

 

[guitarguru777]

Ok heres all the Theory youll ever need ....for soloing.

Learn your MODES and the sound they create ...

Look how that all realte to the major scale.

Lets take a C Maj or Scale and let see how the modes relate to it

cdefgabc < Ionian Mode / Major Scale
defgabcd < Dorian Mode
efgabcde < Phrygian Mode
fgabcdef < Lydan Mode
gabcdefg < Mixolydian Mode
abcdefga <Aeolian Mode
bcdefgab < Locrian Mode

All of these scales work over C Major....A minor and a million other chords that contain the notes of the C Major scale.

To over simplify the modes lets go furthur.

The modes are based off the notes of the major scale in the key you are playing in.

So lets use C again as an example.

If you start playing the notes of the C major scale from the 2nd note of the scale you get the D Dorian scale, the scale is named for the note it starts on and Dorian is its Modal Tonality. Play a D5 chord and play the dorian scale over it and you will see the type of sound it has over the scale.

The rest of the modes of the c major scale work in the same way.

Phrygian and Aeolian are the choice for metal. Phrygian has that cool Middle Estern ot Neo Classical sound. It works great with the Harmonic Minor scale.

Heres your crash course in how to learn your modes

Hope this helps
Da Fukn Guru